Sleeping Beatly
by Madam Pixell
Summary: The captain of the guard falls into a forbiden love with the lead snare of the band.While the lead snare is having his own conflicting isuses with following the drummers code and following his heart.


Sleeping Beatly

Ring. Ring. Ring. Finally, the last bell of the day. The day had been long for Abbie. She was utterly exhausted. Four honors quizzes and an A.P. History test in one day could tire any girl out. And with the amount of blood she had been lacking all week, it was a miracle she hadn't fainted all day.

With the sound of the bell Abbie swiftly gathered her things and ran to her locker in the band hallway. She had to hurry or she may miss the best part of her day. Upon reaching her locker she looked left and then right, hoping she hadn't missed it. Luck enough she hadn't.

As Abbie turned the lock, around the corner came the most beautiful sight she'd only dreamed of. Tall, Tan, and hot. Short black hair hanging at his forehead, ivy green eyes, and high cheek bones. He, John Jackson, was gorgeous. He walked leisurely through the compact hallway toward her. Upon reaching her he cupped her soft cheek in his hand, smiled and planted a hard kiss on her tender lips. Then…….. Reality hit her.

John was a drummer, the lead snare to be exact, a.k.a. the hottest guy of the entire band. She was lucky enough that his locker was next to hers. He would usually come to his locker, glance at her and smile. Sometimes she'd get a _See you on the field _from him. Abbie had hoped for the last two years she'd get to him someday. But she was fooling no one. She may have been captain of the guard and in high ranks like him, but she was in the guard, the drummer's greatest foe for the last eight years. Their reason for feuding was a mystery now, but that didn't stop it. Abbie's chances were slim to none.

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She was the shyest girl he'd ever met. She didn't flaunt over him or put him on a pedestal like all the others did. Actually, she barely ever talked to him. Quiet and beautiful she was. Just as John had always hoped for in a woman. He thought of Abbie often, but never spoke of her to the line of any other band member for that matter

Today was a Friday, meaning Friday night football games. And every Friday Mr. McDeed, the pruction instructor, had them practice at least two hours before the rest of the band arrived. This gave him an hour to get home, let the dogs out , grab his uniform, run though Burger King, and get back to be fifteen minutes early.

As John strolled to his car he noticed Abbie in the corner of his eye. She bashfully waved to him. He slowly began to wave back, but he stopped himself at the sight of Jackie, a snobby second snare, who had been pursuing him for the last three months since he'd gotten lead. He just brushed the flag girl off, as if he hadn't even noticed her. Abbie bowed her head in disgrace and drove off in her car.

"Good. I actually almost thought you were acknowledging that worthless guard girl", Jackie laughed.

"Who me? No. I'd never be caught dead looking at a guard girl", John laughed nervously.

"That's good. Cuz I know you could never he that low to be with a flagget or to break the code. You only deserve one of your own", she said flashing a flirtatious smile.

" You?"

"Me"

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Abbie arrived at the school around four-thirty; as captain this was required to be early for their pre-practice. Upon her arrive her phone buzzed in the pocket of her nylon shorts. A text from Jessie, her coach._ You and Kait need to go to go to the shed and get the extra riffles to replace the broken ones from last weeks game,_ the message read. Luckily, Kait was already there. So the two girls retrieved the keys from Mr. Efferson, the band director, and headed tort h shed.

After opening the shed the girls were greeted by a massive amount of dust, causing them to sneeze. They shifted through the poles and other peaces of equipment until they found six riffles. _That should be enough to replace the broken ones,_ Abbie thought. She took three and headed for the exit. Before reaching it, she fell forward onto a saber, cutting a small gash into her hand.

"Are you ok?" Kait asked.

"Yeah", she answered looking at the gash in her hand. "I'm goona need to wash this. Can you manage?"

Kait nodded and Abbie ran toward the band room and into the bathroom. She washed the wound with soap and water and placed a bandage over it. It stung a little, but she wouldn't let it keep her off the field. She then wrapped it and slipped her glove over it.

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The Friday night lights filled the night sky with a florescent display. It could be seen for at least a mile. The sound tended to carry as well. The numbers racked down rapidly. 3…2.... The blaring buzzer sounded and the field commanders sounded their call and John tapped the band to start playing their fight song. In John's peripheral vision, he saw the flashes of blazing colors, Aqua blue and silver, the school colors. They mesmerized him and played with his eyes. He felt a sensation of being high. The center of his high was the one he deeply longed for. Abbie. Mentally he blocked out the sights of the florescent lights, the screams of crowd, the blares of band, even the beat of his own drum. He could see nothing, feel nothing, and hear nothing, only the dazzle of the flags and the beauty of his longed one. Her long curly hair flowing to her lower back, her rosy cheeks, and those charming blue eyes. How he sought to feel her in his arms, feel her heart against his chest, but no matter how close he was to her, he always felt a thousand miles from her.

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Second quarter past, then hall-time. Their appoints performed their half-time show and then they did their's. When it was over they marched off to the uniform taps of Johns drum. Once they reached the home goal post, the band broke formation, shedding their blue and silver band jackets, and headed for the band parents with trays of water. John unhooked his snare and wrapped his jacket around it. He then felt a petite hand on his perspiring back.

"Hey John. I brought you some water. I figured you'd be thirsty", the hands voice said shakily. He took the stir foam cup and took a long drink. Pulling the cup away from his lips, he looked to thank the kind person. As he did he recognized the face on the person. Rapidly his heart began to race. Abbie. Had anyone seen her walk over? Where they watching now?

"Thank you", John said nervously.

"Your welcome. John…… I was just wondering …… maybe we could hang out some time. I mean it would be nice to get past the small word exchanged between us. You know?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well……" he began to speak, until a loud voice cut into his words.

"Are you serious guard girl? You of all people had the nerve to ask the lead snare. Sweetie that pole must've hit you one too many times on that head of yours", Jackie laughed in her face.

John could tell that these words that devastated Abbie and filled her with hurt and regret. She looked to him for defense, but he kept silent. Abbie turned from a tan-ish color to ashen white, her lips quivering a bit. John thought she would run away in tears, but he thought wrong. She instead crumbled in front of him almost like a building that had just been demolished.

Quickly he fell to her side to see if she was alright. She wasn't. Abbie laid there unconscious and not breathing. Frantic, he shouted for Mrs. James, the band nurse. She examined Abbie and proceeded to resuscitate. In all the chaos someone managed to call an ambulance which arrived in no time.

John couldn't leave her side. He was bewildered and stunned. To see this young girl collapsing at his feet. He felt guilty. He should've defended her and told Jackie to fuck off. But he was a coward. Afraid to disobey a stupid code.

He stayed by her side even when the paramedics came. They managed to get her to start breathing but she still wasn't conscious. He held her hand the entire time until they took her away.

"This girlfriend, buddy?" one of the men asked him. John said nothing. What could he say? He was too stupid to be this amazing girl's man? Or he was a self-centered idiot, who listened more to others than to himself.

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After the men secured Abbie on the stretcher, they loaded her into the ambulance.

"You ridden pal?" the man asked John. John looked to McDeed, who nodded to him. John climbed in and the men closed the doors behind him. John leaned down and cupped Abbie's motion less face in his hands. "I'm so sorry Abbie; I shouldn't've done this to you. I don't deserve your magnificent." he said with tears in his eyes.

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Abbie was taken to Mount Carmel Hospital, admitted, and roomed by ten o'clock. Her mother was called and she rushed to the hospital hastily. John stayed in the waiting room until Mrs. Josephine, Abbie's mother, arrived. He explained everything to her and hugged her with sympathy.

He waited for at least two hours until Mrs. Josephine came to update him on her daughter. "The doctors gave her a blood test and she has contracted some kind of bacterial infection usually found in rusty metal. She still hasn't come to yet, but there isn't much that can be done about that."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"No young man there isn't much that can be done. I think you should just go home. I can drive you."

"Can I at least see her?"

She nodded.

413. Abbie's temporary residence. John peered down at her. An I.V. in her arm, oxygen in her nostrils. This sight was over bearing and brought tears to his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll make this up to you some how sweat heart." he said before leaving.

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"Wake up Abbie", a voice grasping her hand. She found herself lying on the floor of the band room. "Come on Abbie. Where gonna be late", she looked up at the voice. _John? Talking to me?_, she questioned.

" Late for what?", she asked

"The game baby", he answered

"Baby? Are you ok John?"

"Yes I'm perfectly fine. Would you rather I not call you baby Abbie?"

"No. It's just that I don't understand why you're calling me baby. This must be some kind of cruel dream."

"No baby it's not a dream. It's your reality. You just have to wake up. Wake up Abbie. Please wake up ."

"Wake up? But John if this isn't a dream, then how can I wake up?"

"You just have to awaken dear Abbie."

"But how?"

Her words echoed in a now empty space. The before band room had been now turned into a blank space of white. And Abbie was now alone. Nothing came to her mind except some how she was asleep but John was reaching her. She must find him some how.

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"Abbie? Wake up Abbie", a soft voice sang in her ear. She opened her eyes and she felt as if she was lying in on carpet and her head was in someone's lap. She peered to her right and a fire crackled within a fire place way over on the other side. And out the window she saw a light snow, November snow she figured. And above her was a face. Those high cheek bones and ivy green eyes. "John?" she smiled.

"You feel asleep my love while I was reading to you"

"Reading to me?"

"Yes, poetry my love. Just like you like."_ How he would know, _she thought to herself.

He read to her for an hour and a half and finished the entire book. She smiled up at him as he closed the book. Sitting up from his lap, Abbie leaned hack on the soft couch that John had been leaning on for all that time. He smiled softly at her and cupped her elegant cheek in his firm hand. He pulled face close to his and kissed her warmly. Her body tingled all over and she felt a warm, happy sensation.

"Oh John, I've never felt so close to anyone in this way before. You've so wonderful John", Abbie said softly.

"Abbie. Dear sweet Abbie, I've wanted to tell you for so long that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met and……………….. I love you Abbie Josephine. But you have to do one thing for me Abbie."  
"What?"

"You must wake up Abbie. Please wake up."

"But John", she said bewildered. He had disappeared from her sight again and she returned to the blank room. But this time the book John had been reading was sitting on a desk to the right of her. Again she experienced this strange dream.

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"Abbie", John's voice said as he squeezed her hand in his. She could feel a soft chair behind her head and a cup holder on her arm rest. She opened her eyes and saw she was in what appeared to be a movie theater. "Guess that movie tired you out", he smiled.

"I guess", she replied smiling back."  
"I'd better get you home then", John said kissing her on the cheek.

When they walked out into the parking lot, Abbie felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She shuttered. John saw this and he immediately took off his coat and wrapped Abbie in it. It was large and heavy on her, but she didn't mind. The jacket was blue and white with various symbols on it, his name inscribed on the left pocket, and heavy leather sleeves. His letter man jacket.

They reached his car and drove up to Abbie's house. John parked the car on the street and unlocked the door. As she started to unbuckle her seat belt she also perceived to take off the jacket as well. He stopped her. "I want you to have it Abbie", he said kissing her lips. He motioned to say something but she stopped him and got out of his car. Abbie did not want to hear those fatal words. She couldn't bare it. But like always she appeared in the blank space once again, the book still at the desk and the jacket still around her.

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The hallway was flooded with kids waiting to talk to Mr. Efferson. John had been waiting to talk to him now for the last twenty minutes. He needed to get a C.D. from him that he had asked for at least three weeks ago.

"Do you have my requested C.D. ready yet, Sr.?" John asked

Mr. Efferson pulled out a clear C.D. case with John's name on it and handed it to him. "This is truly a great thing you're doing John."

John nodded and walked out of the office and out to his car. On his way he was stopped by Jackie.

"Listen John, I know you're trying to look like a good person by doing all of this, but I think you're going a bit far. I mean this is something her friend should be doing. You've been avoiding hanging out for the last three months since that night", she said to him.

"Well Jackie if it hadn't been for you attacking her the way you did, it might not be like this. If I had told you to fuck off that night none of this would've happened."

"Seriously John? You really believe this is my fault or your's for that matter. You don't act like yourself anymore John."

"No Jackie, I'm being real rather than fake. I'm choosing to be myself rather that what everyone expects of me"

"But the lead breaking the code?"

"Fuck the code", he said as he walked away from her and into his car.

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Dream after dream came to Abbie, all starting and ending the same way. And usually something new appeared in the blank space. A vace of her favorite flowers, black roses, sat on a table on one side. A large teddy bear sat in a chair not far from the table. A balloon was tied to it as well. Even John's class ring found its way around Abbie's neck.

The last and final dream came to Abbie one night. But it didn't start like all the others did. She was in full winter uniform, black spandex pants and a red top with sparkles, on the band field and she's in the back of them. The band is standing in front of her in formation, horns facing her direction. The tubas were knelt in front of her and they all began to play. The song was familiar to Abbie. It was soft and airy. Amazing Grace.

It had always been the bands warm up song before a computation. Abbie had always felt an up lifting felling every time she heard it.

As the song started to end, she breathed deeply and let out a long deep sigh and slowly her eyes began to open. Abbie thought this dream would leave her in the blank space but to her surprise it didn't. As her eye's crept open there wasn't a blank space. She was in what appeared to be a hospital bed. She was wearing a hospital gown, and I.V. in her left arm and she had an I.D. bracelet on the other. She also was wearing a very heavy jacket and a ring was chained around her neck, just like in her dream. On the table next to the bed a book was resting. The table in front of her bed the black roses sat and the teddy bear and balloon were there as well.

Abbie then turned to her left and there next to her was John. He looked at her then lowered his head to hers, kissing her long and deep.

"I knew you'd wake up Abbie", he said kissing her once more.


End file.
